Keyonte George vs LeBron James: who to start in Week 1
Keyonte George plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), LeBron James 4. For that week alone, start LeBron James: 165.8 projected fantasy points to 112.8 for Keyonte George. Over the season, LeBron James leads in both formats: 41.4 fantasy points a game to 37.6, and 40th against 41st in 9-cat. The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 and 2026-27 box scores, not ADP.
Updated Oct 24, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #37
- 37.6 FP/G, slot 4.01, $23
- 9-cat leagues
- #41
- +1.0 z, slot 4.05, $21
- Points leagues
- #18
- 41.4 FP/G, slot 2.06, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #40
- +1.0 z, slot 4.04, $21
Game-time decision (Back)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: LeBron James. 41.4 fantasy points per game against 37.6, 18th on our board to 37th.
9-cat leagues: LeBron James again, +1.0 in summed z-scores against +1.0 (40th to 41st).
Category by category, Keyonte George is ahead in 3 (PTS, 3PM and FT%) and LeBron James in 6 (REB, AST, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, LeBron James produces more: 44.9 fantasy points to 41.3, on 33.2 minutes a night against 32.8. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Keyonte George plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), LeBron James 4. For that week alone, start LeBron James: 165.8 projected fantasy points to 112.8 for Keyonte George.
Slots are where our board's order lands in a 12-team snake draft (round.pick), and dollars are auction value over replacement for 12 teams with $200 each. Neither is ADP: no free draft-position feed lets us republish it.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Keyonte George | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.6 | 41.4 |
| Minutes | 32.8 | 33.2 |
| PointsPTS | 23.2 | 20.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.5 | 6.5 |
| AssistsAST | 6.3 | 7.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 2.6 | 1.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.4% | 50.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.1% | 74.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 54 | 60 |
Bold is the better number. The line blends 2025-26 with 2026-27 games as they are played, the same numbers the rankings use.
Per 36 minutes
| Per 36 | Keyonte George | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.3 | 44.9 |
| Points | 25.5 | 22.0 |
| Rebounds | 3.8 | 7.0 |
| Assists | 6.9 | 7.7 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 2.9 | 1.3 |
| Turnovers | 3.5 | 3.2 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Keyonte George | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.2 | +0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.0 | +0.3 |
| AssistsAST | +1.4 | +1.8 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | +0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -0.1 |
| Threes3PM | +1.0 | -0.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | +0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.4 | -0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.6 | -1.4 |
| Total | +1.0 | +1.0 |
Each number is standard deviations above or below the top 156 players (a 12-team league's rosters). Field goal and free throw percentage are weighted by attempts, and turnovers count against.
If you punt a category
Punting rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Keyonte George.
| Punt | Keyonte George | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.3 (#71) | +0.2 (#51) |
| REB | +2.0 (#24) | +0.4 (#47) |
| AST | -0.5 (#73) | -0.9 (#94) |
| STL | +0.8 (#41) | +0.2 (#57) |
| BLK | +1.9 (#28) | +0.9 (#40) |
| 3PM | -0.2 (#65) | +1.3 (#31) |
| FG% | +1.7 (#32) | +0.0 (#59) |
| FT% | -0.6 (#80) | +1.8 (#25) |
| TO | +2.6 (#32) | +2.4 (#33) |
Value is the sum of the other eight z-scores, recomputed with the punted category left out of the pool that sets them; the rank is among all 392 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Keyonte George: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
- LeBron James: 4 games (Tue @NYK, Thu CLE, Sat MIL, Sun DET), 1 back-to-back, listed GTD.
Recent games
- Keyonte George: 33.2 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 37.6 on the board.
- LeBron James: 41.9 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 41.4 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Keyonte George playing tonight? · Is LeBron James playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Keyonte George, LeBron James
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Keyonte George or LeBron James?
Points leagues: LeBron James. 41.4 fantasy points per game against 37.6, 18th on our board to 37th. 9-cat leagues: LeBron James again, +1.0 in summed z-scores against +1.0 (40th to 41st).
Who wins more categories, Keyonte George or LeBron James?
Category by category, Keyonte George is ahead in 3 (PTS, 3PM and FT%) and LeBron James in 6 (REB, AST, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Keyonte George or LeBron James?
Keyonte George plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), LeBron James 4. For that week alone, start LeBron James: 165.8 projected fantasy points to 112.8 for Keyonte George.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number